To Affirm the Right of Clergy to Continue Conducting Weddings

in Accordance with Confession

RESOLUTION 14-04

Overtures 14-02, 14-06, 14-10–12, 14-14 (CW, pp. 465–466, 470–471)

WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) has repeatedly affirmed its belief that God established marriage to be for one man and one woman, (Gen. 1:27; 2:21–24) even as our Lord Jesus declares (Matt. 19:4–6) and the inspired apostle Paul teaches (Eph. 5:21–33); and

WHEREAS, The Supreme Court of the United States has now affirmed same-sex marriage (Obergefell v. Hodges), and every state now must license the marriage of same-sex couples; and

WHEREAS, There is a need for the LCMS to give prayerful and thoughtful guidance to pastors about preserving the religious freedom afforded by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and about being mindful of potential threats to such freedom as they conduct weddings in today’s legal and societal context; therefore be it

Resolved, That no LCMS congregation shall make its facilities available for a ceremony sanctioning a same-sex union and no LCMS pastor shall consent to officiate or participate in any ceremony sanctioning the union of a same-sex couple; and be it further

Resolved, That for the purpose of public disclosure (e.g. marriage handbooks and congregational Websites), each congregation be encouraged to utilize the Synod’s publication Information on Marriage Policies for Member Congregations to develop policies for marriage in accord with the witness of Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions; and be it further

Resolved, That the LCMS give thanks for and seek to preserve the right of pastors to decline to officiate for weddings that are contrary to their conscience and the teachings of our Synod, as well as protections that preserve the right of congregations to determine on the basis of conscience and the Word of God whom they will allow to use their facilities; and be it finally

Resolved, That the CTCR, in consultation with the seminary faculties, and other scholars, prepare materials to facilitate a biblical and confessional, theological and practical study affirming the right of our clergy to continue conducting weddings in accordance with our confession, and that these materials be prepared in time for the 2019 convention.

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EXPLANATION OF SCORING MECHANISM

The scores for each Resolution are an attempt to predict which resolutions are likely to attract the most attention at the upcoming convention.

SCORE RANGE: 1-5, where 1 = low and 5 = high

SCORING CATEGORIES
L = Likelihood of adoption. For example, Commendation Resolutions are usually easy to pass, so would score 5.
S = Strengthens Doctrine & Practice. Is the Resolution faithful to Scripture and our Confessions? Does it entrench them?
F = Strengthens Walking in Fellowship. Does the Resolution enhance Synodical values?
P = Synod Priority. What is the priority of the Resolution for the Synod, especially with reference to S&F above?
X = Executable. Does the Resolution have a realistic goal? Can it be achieved with measurable results?

SCORE
The final score is based on weightings (see below). A low score means the Resolution is likely a pro-forma matter. A high value means it is likely to be contested.